Patents by Inventor FRANCES KWEE

FRANCES KWEE has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12645263
    Abstract: This application is directed to a display assistant device that acts as a voice-activated user interface device. The display assistant device includes a base, a screen and a rear speaker. The base is configured for sitting on a surface. The screen has a rear surface and is supported by the base at the rear surface. A bottom edge of the screen is configured to be held above the surface by a predefined height, and the base is substantially hidden behind the screen from a front view of the display assistant device. The rear speaker is concealed inside the base and oriented to project sound towards the rear side of the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2026
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Justin Leong, Xiaoping Qin, Christen Cameron Bilger, Philip Hobson Boothby, Frances Kwee, Matthew Michael Seflic, James Castro
  • Publication number: 20250362713
    Abstract: A system, such as a voice assistant device, is disclosed which includes a base that houses at least one speaker and supports a display screen. The base is configured to hold the display screen at an angle relative to a surface, creating a predefined space between the screen's lower edge and the surface. To optimize sound, multiple speakers can be oriented in different directions, with one speaker potentially facing a front grille while another is aimed in another direction behind the display. The system may further integrate a camera and a radar transceiver within the bezel of the display screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2025
    Publication date: November 27, 2025
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: Xiaoping Qin, Christen Cameron Bilger, Frederic Heckmann, Frances Kwee, Justin Leong, James Castro
  • Patent number: 12405635
    Abstract: This application is directed to a speaker assembly in which a speaker is mounted in an enclosure structure. The enclosure structure exposes a speaker opening of the speaker and provides a sealed enclosure for a rear portion of the speaker, and further includes an electrically conductive portion. One or more electronic components are coupled to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure (which is grounded in some implementations). The electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is configured to provide electromagnetic shielding for the electronic components and forms part of the sealed enclosure of the speaker. In some implementations, the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is thermally coupled to the electronic components and acts as a heat sink that is configured to absorb heat generated by the electronic components and dissipate the generated heat away from the electronic components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2024
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2025
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Xiaoping Qin, Christen Cameron Bilger, Frederic Heckmann, Frances Kwee, Justin Leong, James Castro
  • Publication number: 20240272683
    Abstract: This application is directed to a speaker assembly in which a speaker is mounted in an enclosure structure. The enclosure structure exposes a speaker opening of the speaker and provides a sealed enclosure for a rear portion of the speaker, and further includes an electrically conductive portion. One or more electronic components are coupled to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure (which is grounded in some implementations). The electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is configured to provide electromagnetic shielding for the electronic components and forms part of the sealed enclosure of the speaker. In some implementations, the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is thermally coupled to the electronic components and acts as a heat sink that is configured to absorb heat generated by the electronic components and dissipate the generated heat away from the electronic components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2024
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: Xiaoping Qin, Christen Cameron Bilger, Frederic Heckmann, Frances Kwee, Justin Leong, James Castro
  • Patent number: 11994917
    Abstract: This application is directed to a speaker assembly in which a speaker is mounted in an enclosure structure. The enclosure structure exposes a speaker opening of the speaker and provides a sealed enclosure for a rear portion of the speaker, and further includes an electrically conductive portion. One or more electronic components are coupled to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure (which is grounded in some implementations). The electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is configured to provide electromagnetic shielding for the electronic components and forms part of the sealed enclosure of the speaker. In some implementations, the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is thermally coupled to the electronic components and acts as a heat sink that is configured to absorb heat generated by the electronic components and dissipate the generated heat away from the electronic components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Xiaoping Qin, Christen Cameron Bilger, Frederic Heckmann, Frances Kwee, Justin Leong, James Castro
  • Publication number: 20240160251
    Abstract: This application is directed to a display assistant device that acts as a voice-activated user interface device. The display assistant device includes a base, a screen and a rear speaker. The base is configured for sitting on a surface. The screen has a rear surface and is supported by the base at the rear surface. A bottom edge of the screen is configured to be held above the surface by a predefined height, and the base is substantially hidden behind the screen from a front view of the display assistant device. The rear speaker is concealed inside the base and oriented to project sound towards the rear side of the base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2023
    Publication date: May 16, 2024
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: Justin Leong, Xiaoping Qin, Christen Cameron Bilger, Philip Hobson Boothby, Frances Kwee, Matthew Michael Seflic, James Castro
  • Patent number: 11836009
    Abstract: This application is directed to a display assistant device that acts as a voice-activated user interface device. The display assistant device includes a base, a screen and a rear speaker. The base is configured for sitting on a surface. The screen has a rear surface and is supported by the base at the rear surface. A bottom edge of the screen is configured to be held above the surface by a predefined height, and the base is substantially hidden behind the screen from a front view of the display assistant device. The rear speaker is concealed inside the base and oriented to project sound towards the rear side of the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Justin Leong, Xiapoing Qin, Christen Cameron Bilger, Philip Hobson Boothby, Frances Kwee, Matthew Michael Seflic, James Castro
  • Publication number: 20220404864
    Abstract: This application is directed to a speaker assembly in which a speaker is mounted in an enclosure structure. The enclosure structure exposes a speaker opening of the speaker and provides a sealed enclosure for a rear portion of the speaker, and further includes an electrically conductive portion. One or more electronic components are coupled to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure (which is grounded in some implementations). The electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is configured to provide electromagnetic shielding for the electronic components and forms part of the sealed enclosure of the speaker. In some implementations, the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is thermally coupled to the electronic components and acts as a heat sink that is configured to absorb heat generated by the electronic components and dissipate the generated heat away from the electronic components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Xiaoping Qin, Christen Cameron Bilger, Frederic Heckmann, Frances Kwee, Justin Leong, James Castro
  • Patent number: 11513565
    Abstract: This application is directed to a speaker assembly in which a speaker is mounted in an enclosure structure. The enclosure structure exposes a speaker opening of the speaker and provides a sealed enclosure for a rear portion of the speaker, and further includes an electrically conductive portion. One or more electronic components are coupled to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure (which is grounded in some implementations). The electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is configured to provide electromagnetic shielding for the electronic components and forms part of the sealed enclosure of the speaker. In some implementations, the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is thermally coupled to the electronic components and acts as a heat sink that is configured to absorb heat generated by the electronic components and dissipate the generated heat away from the electronic components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Xiaoping Qin, Christen Cameron Bilger, Frederic Heckmann, Frances Kwee, Justin Leong, James Castro
  • Patent number: 10996717
    Abstract: In a display assistant device, a speaker is mounted in a waveguide structure which is at least partially disposed beneath a display screen. The waveguide structure is mounted in an exterior housing which includes speaker grills distributed on a plurality of surfaces of the exterior housing, permitting sound waves from the speaker to be projected outside the exterior housing. A cover structure is disposed on top of the waveguide structure to conceal the waveguide structure and speaker within the exterior housing. The cover structure has a tilted bottom surface configured to be suspended above the waveguide structure and to be separated by a first space. Sound waves projected from an upper portion of the speaker are reflected by the tilted bottom surface and are guided through the first space to exit the device from a speaker grill portion located on a rear side of the exterior housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: James Castro, Carl Cepress, Liang Ching Tseng, Darren Torrie, Frances Kwee, Rex Price
  • Publication number: 20210011518
    Abstract: This application is directed to a speaker assembly in which a speaker is mounted in an enclosure structure. The enclosure structure exposes a speaker opening of the speaker and provides a sealed enclosure for a rear portion of the speaker, and further includes an electrically conductive portion. One or more electronic components are coupled to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure (which is grounded in some implementations). The electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is configured to provide electromagnetic shielding for the electronic components and forms part of the sealed enclosure of the speaker. In some implementations, the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is thermally coupled to the electronic components and acts as a heat sink that is configured to absorb heat generated by the electronic components and dissipate the generated heat away from the electronic components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Inventors: Xiaoping QIN, Christen Cameron BILGER, Frederic Heckmann, Frances KWEE, Justin LEONG, James CASTRO
  • Publication number: 20200112786
    Abstract: In a display assistant device, a speaker is mounted in a waveguide structure which is at least partially disposed beneath a display screen. The waveguide structure is mounted in an exterior housing which includes speaker grills distributed on a plurality of surfaces of the exterior housing, permitting sound waves from the speaker to be projected outside the exterior housing. A cover structure is disposed on top of the waveguide structure to conceal the waveguide structure and speaker within the exterior housing. The cover structure has a tilted bottom surface configured to be suspended above the waveguide structure and to be separated by a first space. Sound waves projected from an upper portion of the speaker are reflected by the tilted bottom surface and are guided through the first space to exit the device from a speaker grill portion located on a rear side of the exterior housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Inventors: James Castro, Carl Cepress, Liang Ching Tseng, Darren Torrie, Frances Kwee, Rex Price
  • Publication number: 20200110443
    Abstract: This application is directed to a display assistant device that acts as a voice-activated user interface device. The display assistant device includes a base, a screen and a rear speaker. The base is configured for sitting on a surface. The screen has a rear surface and is supported by the base at the rear surface. A bottom edge of the screen is configured to be held above the surface by a predefined height, and the base is substantially hidden behind the screen from a front view of the display assistant device. The rear speaker is concealed inside the base and oriented to project sound towards the rear side of the base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Inventors: JUSTIN LEONG, XIAOPING QIN, CHRISTEN CAMERON BILGER, PHILIP HOBSON BOOTHBY, FRANCES KWEE, MATTHEW MICHAEL SEFLIC